KS: The Side-Stories
by Nate Grey
Summary: It is advised that you read Gohan & Sasami: The Series first, but it's not mandatory.
1. A New Power

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners. Subreality belongs to Kielle.  
  
Author's Note: This is the third side-story to Kid Stuff. I should point out that there is more than one Yugi present here. One is older and married to Trunks (as seen in KS 12), the other is the same that appears in all my Subreality stories.   
  
Summary: Misaki plans a wedding for Tenchi & Sasami. So what if they're already married to other people? This IS Misaki we're talking about...   
  
A New Power  
  
  
Queen Funaho was in the middle of dinner when Misaki burst into the dining room.  
  
"It's time!" Misaki cried happily. "My Sasami's reached the required age for marriage!"  
  
Funaho nearly choked on her food. "What did you say?!"  
  
"My Sasami's reached the required age for marriage!" Misaki repeated.  
  
Funaho blinked. "Misaki, you DO know that Sasami's already married?"  
  
"Of course, but now she's reached the age for ROYAL marriage! Isn't that great?!"  
  
"I fail to see your point."  
  
"Really? Well, okay. Now that she's old enough, Sasami can marry Tenchi like she's always wanted to!"  
  
Funaho nearly choked again. "Tenchi is married to Ayeka. You must know that already."  
  
"So what's your point?" Misaki asked.  
  
Funaho started to say something, but suddenly remembered the last fight she'd had with Misaki. "Never mind. They are your children, after all. I shall summon the Three Knights of Jurai. I trust you can handle the rest?"  
  
"Of course!" Misaki clapped her hands. "Oh, and we can have the wedding right here! It'll be so wonderful!" She squealed happily before running out of the room.  
  
Funaho sighed and went on with her dinner. She had a feeling that Misaki was going to learn a hard lesson very soon.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Trunks was in the middle of his training when something landed on his head. He was about to brush it off when he realized that the something was a someone. A very familiar someone, to be exact.  
  
"You know, you've really gotten much cuter," the small person said.  
  
Trunks nearly dropped his sword. "Yugi?! What...how...who?!"  
  
Yugi pressed a finger to his lips. "Great to see you, too, but we have to talk."  
  
"But...what happened to you?!"  
  
"Huh?" Yugi looked at herself, then back to him. "What do you mean?"  
  
"The Yugi I married is much older, and she doesn't wear overalls anymore."  
  
"Oh, THAT!" Yugi chuckled. "Well, see, I'm a different Yugi. Sort of."  
  
"So...you're not my Yugi?" he asked, obviously very confused.  
  
"Oh, don't be silly, Trunks!" she replied. "I'll ALWAYS be your Yugi. But I'm a different version of your Yugi. Understand?"  
  
"No, but why are you here?"  
  
"Well, to see you, of course, and to tell you that you're needed back on Jurai."  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"Because I do. You've got to get there fast and stop the wedding!"  
  
"What wedding?" Trunks asked.  
  
"The one Misaki's trying to set up for Tenchi and Sasami!"  
  
"But they're both already married..."  
  
Yugi sighed. "Well, you know that, and I know that, and so does everyone else, and that might make a difference on Earth. But they're a little more relaxed about that type of thing on Jurai. Especially when it comes to royal people."  
  
Trunks put away his sword. "Does Gohan know about this?"  
  
"He will once Misaki contacts Sasami. Tenchi should be getting the message right about now."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"It's your move, Vegeta."   
  
Vegeta glared at him. "I'm aware of that, Tenchi." He moved his rook across the board. "Check."  
  
Tenchi quickly moved his king out of the line of fire. "Uncheck."  
  
"There's no such thing. You're only denying the inevitable, you know."  
  
"We'll see."  
  
Suddenly, the computer console next to them lit up.  
  
"We've got a call coming in. Should I take it?" Tenchi asked.  
  
Vegeta grunted, obviously too caught up in the game to think of anything else.  
  
Tenchi pressed a button on the console. "This is Tenchi. Go ahead."  
  
Ayeka's concerned face appeared on the console. "Lord Tenchi, something most dreadful has happened."  
  
"What's wrong, dear?" Tenchi asked, leaning forward.  
  
"It's...my mother."  
  
"Uh oh." Tenchi frowned. "Now what has she done?"  
  
"She...wants you to come to the palace, but she won't say why." Ayeka paused. "Tenchi, I think she's planning something horrible. She's asked for Gohan & Sasami to come as well."  
  
"Don't worry about a thing, love," Tenchi replied. "I'll be there soon."  
  
Ayeka nodded, but she didn't look any happier as she ended the call.  
  
"Looks like we're heading back to Jurai," Tenchi said, turning back to the game.  
  
Vegeta only smiled. "Checkmate."  
  
"What?!" Tenchi stared at the board in disbelief.  
  
"I'll go get Trunks." Vegeta stood up and walked away.  
  
Tenchi's eyes narrowed. "Hey, wait a minute! That knight wasn't there before! Vegeta, get back here!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Sasami breathed a sigh of relief once she and her family were inside the palace. Thanks to Gohan learning his father's instant transmission technique, their children could no longer ask, "Mom, are we there yet?" It was one of the little things that made life worth living.  
  
"Aw, man!" Godin moaned. "Mom, you said we'd be going someplace fun!"  
  
Sasami rolled her eyes. "Godin, you said you wanted to see your Aunt Ayeka & Uncle Tenchi."  
  
"Couldn't they just come to our house?" Godin asked. "I hate being around Grampa."  
  
"Us, too!" the twins agreed.  
  
Gohan covered his mouth to keep from laughing. "Now, kids. It's not nice to talk about your grandfather like that."  
  
"Why can't he be cool like you and Grampa Goku, Daddy?" Raine asked.  
  
Gohan almost answered, but stopped himself when Sasami shot him a look. "I'm sure your grandfather is cool...in his own special way," he said at last. "Come on, let's go see your Aunt Ayeka." He herded the kids toward Ayeka's room before Sasami could slap him.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Trunks, Tenchi, and Vegeta all breathed deeply as they stepped into the palace. Earth was their home, but Jurai had become a home away from home, and it was always good to return to it.  
  
"I guess we should let Misaki know we're here," Trunks said.  
  
Tenchi looked nervous. "Um...I was hoping to see Ayeka and Gaia before I got the bad news."  
  
"Let's split up," Vegeta suggested. "I'll go see Funaho, Tenchi can check on his family, and Trunks will see Misaki."  
  
"Hey!" Trunks cried. "Why do I have to do it?!"  
  
"Because you haven't had your chest collapsed by one of her hugs in a long time," Vegeta replied. "And besides, I told you to do it."  
  
Trunks mumbled something under his breath, but went off to find Misaki anyway.  
  
"Why do you always get to see my great-grandmother?" Tenchi asked.  
  
Vegeta smirked. "Because she thinks I'm cute."  
  
Tenchi stared at him. "You've got to be kidding me."  
  
"Are you saying you don't think I'm cute?"  
  
Tenchi paused. "I'm saying I don't know how to answer that question without getting pounded."  
  
Vegeta smiled. "Good answer."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ayeka was sitting by her window when her door was nearly ripped off its hinges. Three distinct voices shouted her name as three very energetic children ran in, stumbling over each other to reach her. She was almost knocked off her chair by the force of their embraces, but she somehow found the strength to remain seated and greet them all with hugs and kisses.  
  
Gohan ran in a moment later, looking a bit embarrassed. "Sorry about that, Ayeka. They broke their leashes about ten yards away from your room."  
  
Ayeka smiled at him. "That's okay, Gohan. It's always a joy to see them."  
  
"Hey, who's that, Aunt Ayeka?" Gomen suddenly asked, pointing at the bed.  
  
Everyone turned to see a little girl rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.  
  
"I nearly forgot. You haven't been here in a long time, have you?" Ayeka asked.  
  
"Not since Grampa yelled at us," Godin muttered.  
  
The little girl slowly walked over to Ayeka and climbed into her lap, looking very possessive as she buried her head in Ayeka's robe.  
  
"This is Gaia, your new cousin," Ayeka said, stroking the girl's violet hair..   
  
"Wow. She's pretty," Gomen whispered.  
  
The little girl blushed, while Ayeka kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you think so, Gomen."  
  
Gaia slowly raised her head and peered at the children crowded around her. Her eyes stopped on Godin.  
  
"How come her eyes are different colors?" Godin asked.  
  
"We're not really sure," Ayeka replied. "Washu thinks it's because she's the product of both Earthling and Juraian bloodlines. The blue one supposedly represents Tenchi's line, and the red one mine."  
  
"But I thought Uncle Tenchi was from Jurai?" Raine asked.  
  
Gohan spoke up. "No, dear. Tenchi is from Earth, and so is his great-grandmother."  
  
"You mean Grammie Funaho?" Gomen asked.  
  
Gohan held back a snicker. "Yes, son. But I'm not so sure you should call her that..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
There were several times that Trunks's life had flashed before his eyes. Now, in the arms of Misaki, it was happening again.  
  
"Oh, I'm so glad you're here!" Misaki squealed, squeezing him tighter.  
  
"Can't...breathe!" Trunks gasped.  
  
Misaki let him go. "Did you say something, Trunks?"  
  
While Trunks was still trying to get air back into his lungs, Sasami walked up behind him.   
  
"SASAMI!" Misaki roughly shoved Trunks out of the way and grabbed her daughter. Fortunately, Sasami had developed a tolerance for her mother's hugs.  
  
"It's good to see you, too, Mom. What's so important?"  
  
"You're getting married!" Misaki announced.  
  
Sasami frowned. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"You've reached the required age for royal marriage, dear! Now you can marry Tenchi!"  
  
"Tenchi? But I don't want-"  
  
"Nonsense! You've often told me how much you wanted to marry him."  
  
Sasami gave her mother a blank look. "That was ten years ago!"  
  
Misaki frowned. "Sasami, are you defying me?"  
  
"No, but I can't just marry Tenchi! He's married to Ayeka, and I'm married to Gohan! What am I supposed to do, pretend none of that even happened? We all have children now!"  
  
Trunks slowly made it to his feet. "This is wrong!"  
  
Misaki fixed him with a glare. "Is that so?"  
  
"Um...who said that?" he chuckled nervously, looking around.  
  
Misaki turned back to Sasami. "You are going to marry Tenchi, and you are going to like it. Is that clear?"  
  
Sasami stared at her mother in silence. Finally, she turned and quickly walked away, wiping the beginnings of a tear from her eye. Trunks was right behind her, not wanting to lose the use of any other bodily functions...like breathing.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"So what are we going to do?" Ayeka asked.  
  
Gohan shrugged. "I'm not sure. I thought you'd have some ideas on how to deal with Misaki."  
  
"I've got plenty of ideas, but none of them will work." Ayeka sighed. "Almost nothing can stop my mother once she's got an idea in her head."  
  
"Her mind? Hey, that's it!" Gohan cried. "What we need is a really powerful telepath!"  
  
"Do you know one?" Ayeka asked.  
  
"Uh...no. But we can get one!"  
  
"What's a telepath?" Gomen asked.  
  
"It's someone who can sneak into your head and make you do whatever they want," Godin replied with an evil look in his eyes.  
  
"Like the boogey man?" Raine asked, hiding behind her twin.  
  
"Godin, stop that," Gohan said. "I've told you about scaring your sister."  
  
"Not my fault she's a chicken," Godin muttered. "Besides, a telepath can do that stuff."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Funaho and Vegeta looked up as Sasami walked into the throne room, followed by Trunks, who appeared to be a bit dazed.  
  
"Any luck?" Funaho asked.  
  
Sasami shook her head. "My mother's really stuck on this idea."  
  
"I just wish she didn't have to take it out on me," Trunks muttered, fingering his bruised ribs.  
  
"Maybe I can help," Yugi said as she appeared on his head.   
  
"Can you stop doing that?" Trunks asked, placing her on the ground.   
  
"Sorry. Anyhow, I may have a solution."  
  
"You want to explain this, son?" Vegeta asked.  
  
"No, not really," Trunks answered. "Just listen to her."   
  
Yugi cleared her throat and began pacing back and forth. "It seems to me that what you need is someone who can convince Misaki that this wedding is wrong. Of course, since this IS Misaki we're talking about, words just won't do. You need someone that can mentally control her."  
  
"Like who?" Vegeta asked.  
  
Yugi grinned. "Well...me! Both of me."  
  
"HUH?" everyone else asked.  
  
Yugi sighed. "Okay, both versions of Yugi. Lil' me & Trunks's wife. Get it?"  
  
"Oh. That makes more sense," Funaho said.   
  
"Why didn't you tell me you were a telepath?" Trunks wanted to know.  
  
Yugi stuck her hands in her pockets and shrugged. "You never asked."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Misaki was just about to call the caterer when someone kicked in her bedroom door. She looked up to see two very angry faces, followed by one that seemed very nervous. "What is the meaning of this?!"  
  
"That's what we wanna know, lady!" Lil' Yugi shouted. "No way are you forcing two of my favorite friends to get married!"  
  
"And you're going to stop me?" Misaki asked, looking amused.  
  
"That's right!" Yugi chimed in.   
  
"Girls, I don't think you can," Trunks said.  
  
"Quiet, you!" both of them shouted. "We'll handle this."  
  
"Give it your best shot," Misaki replied calmly.  
  
Yugi & Lil' Yugi narrowed their eyes.  
  
Minutes passed.  
  
Finally, Lil' Yugi growled in anger. "Why isn't it working?!"  
  
"That's what I was trying to tell you," Trunks explained. "The original Yugi was created by Jurai's royal family, so they probably put inhibitors in her brain to keep her from attacking anyone in the royal family."  
  
"But I was recreated by Tsunami!" Yugi exclaimed.  
  
"Even more reason to keep them in. If you could use your powers to control Tsunami, there's no telling what you might do."  
  
"Hey, what are you implying?!" Lil' Yugi shouted. "That I'm dangerous?!"  
  
Trunks looked even more nervous. "No, dear! I was just-"  
  
"What are you calling HER dear for?!" Yugi shouted. "I'm your wife, not her!"  
  
Trunks sighed. "I knew getting you two together was a bad idea."  
  
"If you three are done making fools of yourselves," Misaki said, "I have a wedding to plan."  
  
"Not so fast, Mom!" Sasami ran into the room, followed by Ayeka and Tenchi. "This madness ends now!"  
  
"Sasami, are you defying me?" Misaki asked, arching an eyebrow.   
  
Sasami nearly gasped in fear, but narrowed her eyes. "No. Tsunami is." She seemed to grown in height, and her eyes took on a strange glow.  
  
Tenchi backed away. "What's she doing, Ayeka?"  
  
"Sasami is accessing Tsunami's power...but I've never seen her do it before."  
  
"So is that bad?"  
  
Ayeka paused. "It could be," she said after a while. "Without precise control, that kind of power can be dangerous."  
  
Sasami towered over her mother, glaring down at the woman. "I've let you control me on the past, but you've gone too far this time, Mother! Now you're challenging my love for Gohan, and Ayeka's for Tenchi! We won't allow it!"  
  
"Something's wrong," Lil' Yugi whispered. "Misaki isn't backing down!"  
  
"So what do we do?" Trunks asked.  
  
Suddenly, there was a flash of red light, and Misaki collapsed. Sasami fell to her knees, panting heavily. No one dared to move for a while.  
  
"Sasami," Ayeka finally whispered, "what did you do to her?"  
  
Sasami shook her head. "I...didn't do anything, Ayeka. I was going to, but before I could...something or someone...intervened. Whatever it was, it was incredibly powerful...even stronger than me!"  
  
Yugi helped Sasami up. "So is it over?"  
  
Trunks reluctantly helped Misaki up. "She's alive, but she's out cold."  
  
Misaki opened her eyes. "Trunks! You're becoming such a handsome young man!"   
  
"NO!" Trunks screamed, trying to run. "NOOOO!"  
  
Misaki grabbed him in one of her trademark hugs.  
  
"AAAAAAHH!!!" Trunks wailed, struggling in her grasp. "HELP ME!!!"  
  
"Um...I like having unbroken ribs," Lil' Yugi said. "Sorry, Trunks."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" Gohan asked for the third time.  
  
Sasami nodded weakly, leaning on his arm. "I'm just tired. Let's go home."  
  
"Do we have to?" Godin asked. "We just got here!"  
  
Gohan frowned. "I thought you didn't want to come?"  
  
"Well, that was before we met our cool cousin! Right, guys?"  
  
"Yeah!" the twins agreed. "Gaia's cool!"  
  
"I'm glad you like her, but your mother needs her rest," Gohan said firmly.  
  
The three kids fell silent. They knew not to question their father when he was in Slightly Mad mode.  
  
They were a home a few seconds later, and the kids all retreated to the boys' room.  
  
"I don't see why we never get to stay on Jurai for long," Raine complained. "Something fun always happens, and then we have to leave!"  
  
"I wish we'd had a chance to ask Gaia about her powers," Gomen said.  
  
"Powers? What powers?" Godin asked. "She didn't have any."  
  
"Yes, she did! When Dad wasn't looking, she started glowing red and stuff!"  
  
"She was!" Raine agreed. "I saw her!"  
  
Godin smirked. "You two have been listening to Ace's stories again. Gaia doesn't have powers!"  
  
"She does!" Gomen insisted. "She told me so!"  
  
"You dummy! Gaia doesn't talk, either!"  
  
"I know, but she told me!"  
  
Godin sighed. "And how did she do that?"  
  
"She talked in my head. Raine's, too."  
  
Raine nodded silently, a serious look on her face.  
  
Godin waved them away. "Yeah, right. You two are gonna get in trouble for lying once Mom is better."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Tenchi, I'm really worried about Gaia," Ayeka said. "She hasn't spoken since she was born."  
  
"It's probably just a phase. You know she's different from most children."  
  
"That may be, but look at them!"  
  
Tenchi peered into the room. Gaia was playing with little Tarot, while Ace stood nearby, watching them with slight amusement.  
  
"Don't you ever wonder why she only wants to play with Sakura's children?"  
  
"Well, she doesn't get to see them that often," Tenchi pointed out. "Maybe she just misses them."  
  
"I still think we should take her to a doctor or someone like that," Ayeka insisted.  
  
"Washu can take a look tomorrow afternoon. We'll take Ace & Tarot, just so Gaia won't be alone. That sound fair?"  
  
"I suppose. Why aren't you worried about her?"  
  
Tenchi grinned. "You do enough of that for both of us, love."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"And that's the whole story, boss," Lil' Yugi said. "Another disaster narrowly averted, thanks to me."  
  
XMAN0123 stared down at her. "I thought you said your powers were no help?"  
  
"HEY! Do I criticize your stories?"  
  
"No, you inspire them. Now get off my desk."  
  
Lil' Yugi mumbled under her breath. "FINE! But don't expect any help on the Saturn Scouts, pal!"  
  
"Don't need it. You'll be in the story whether you like it or not."  
  
She started to say something, then shook her head and walked away. She kept walking until she bumped into someone.  
  
"Sorry about that, short stuff," the young man apologized, helping her up. "You okay?"  
  
"Hey! You're...um...that guy!"  
  
"Nate Grey. Is your Writer here?"  
  
Lil' Yugi stared at him. "Who?" she asked dreamily.  
  
"Never mind. I'll come back later." Nate vanished in a flash of light.  
  
"BOSS! Hey, BOSS!" Yugi screamed, running back to his desk.  
  
"What is it?" XMAN0123 asked. "This had better be good."  
  
"It is! Perfect idea for a story, right here!" Lil' Yugi jumped up and down, a huge smile on her face.  
  
"Okay, what?"  
  
Yugi cleared her throat. "A love story. It's about this poor sap that accidentally teleports himself to outer space, where these two princesses-"  
  
"This sounds an awful lot like 'X-Man Muyo!' Yugi."  
  
"But it's better! I'm in this one!"  
  
"Let me guess. Nate Grey falls in love with you."  
  
"Yeah, but evil me! Get it?"  
  
XMAN0123 sighed. "I'll think about it. For now, please tell me why you're standing on my desk again. You know I hate that."  
  
Yugi got off his desk. "I hate you."  
  
He rolled his eyes and went to work on the story. "Love you, too. Don't come back until you do what I asked."  
  
Yugi muttered to herself and grabbed the phone. "Yeah, Vegeta, it's me. Is Cell there? Great, put him on. Cell? Yugi here. I need a favor."  
  
Pause.  
  
"No, not that. I need about seven of your 'kids' for a story."  
  
Pause.  
  
"No, I can't tell you why. My boss seems to think it'll be funny."  
  
Pause.  
  
"Okay, I'll tell him." She covered the phone. "Hey, boss? Cell says he wants a million in cash for each one!"  
  
"Tell him he still owes me for letting him eat Ryoko!"  
  
"Cell? Oh, you heard? Really? Okay, I'll tell him." Yugi covered the phone again. "He says you can have 'em, boss!"  
  
"Good work. Now tell him that he'll be punished for demanding money from a Writer."  
  
Yugi swallowed. "Um...Cell? Hello? Geez...that had to hurt."  
  
"Don't worry, I only cut off a little. It'll grow back...eventually."  
  
The End. 


	2. Ace & Tarot's Time Trip

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners, but Ace & Tarot belong to me.  
  
Author's Note: This is the second Kid Stuff side story. Tarot wasn't born the first time I mentioned her in KS 12, so I did this to shed some light on her and her brother, Ace. You'll also meet Tenchi & Ayeka's daughter here (she'll appear in the next side story and later on in the sequel to Kid Stuff).  
  
Summary: The youngest CardCaptors journey into the past.  
  
... are thoughts.  
  
Ace & Tarot's Time Trip  
  
  
It had started out as a normal day. Ace was bored, so when he found out his mother was going to Jurai, he begged to go with her.   
  
Sakura had given him one of her stern looks. "Ace, I'm going on business. This isn't a social call."  
  
"But Mom, I never get to go anymore!" he'd whined.  
  
Sakura had finally agreed...under the condition that Ace agreed to spend the day training with Vegeta. Of course, that was before Ace had realized how strict a teacher the Saiyan Prince was. After 300 sit-ups, 200 push-ups, and 50 toe touches, Ace wanted nothing more than to go home.   
  
But Vegeta wasn't finished yet. He had another challenge in store for Ace, and it would be the hardest of all.  
  
Ace had heard all about Saiyans from his mother. How powerful they were, how they fought, and how they never gave up. The only ones Ace had ever met were in Goku's family, and most of them were pretty cool. Sure, Godin could be a jerk sometimes, but overall, he and his siblings were a lot of fun. They were almost as mischievous as Ace himself was, and it was always fun to see who could get away with more pranks.  
  
He didn't know much about Junior, and that was a bad thing.  
  
Vegeta had introduced the boy as his grandson (the very same Raine had called a huge jerk, and she seemed to like everyone), and they certainly did look alike. Unfortunately for Ace, they thought alike, too. Both of them thought it might be good for Ace and Junior to be sparring partners. Ace didn't think so, but he was outnumbered.  
  
So that was how Ace had found himself trading blows with a Saiyan his age. Though trading was a bad word for it, since Junior was throwing most of the punches. Of course, he had already been training under Vegeta and Trunks for years, while Ace had only learned a few lessons in agility from his own father. But then, maybe if he'd paid more attention, fighting wouldn't be so hard.  
  
"Keep your guard up!" Vegeta shouted.  
  
Ace frowned as one of Junior's fists just missed his forehead. "How am I supposed to do that when he keeps vanishing like that?!"  
  
"He's not vanishing, he's moving. If you can't keep up, you'd better learn how to dodge."  
  
Ace was about to ask how when Junior's foot slammed into his chest. He hit the ground hard, and he could feel blood dripping from his cheek.  
  
Junior stood over him. "You are weak, Ace Avalon. Come back when you can present more of a challenge." With that, he turned and left the room.  
  
Ace wiped away the blood and slowly got to his feet. "This wasn't fair! I'm not a Saiyan! I can't move that fast!"  
  
"Then you've learned you first lesson," Vegeta replied. "If you're a human, even one with magical abilities, you can't always rely on strength and agility against a Saiyan."   
  
"So what am I supposed to do?"  
  
Vegeta smiled. "That's another lesson you'll have to learn, but we're done for today. Your mother will come for you soon."  
  
As Vegeta walked away, Ace sighed and brushed some dirt off his clothes. "Well, at least he didn't try to throw the ceiling at me like Godin said he would."  
  
"Don't feel too bad, Ace. Junior is a tough opponent for anyone."  
  
He turned to see a woman behind him. "Oh. Hi, Miss Ayeka."  
  
"Would you like a bandage for that cut?" she asked.  
  
"Um...sure, okay."  
  
Ayeka drew a small bandage out of her robe. "When I heard that someone would be fighting Junior, I thought they might need this. I didn't know it'd be you. I expected Godin."  
  
"Well, Vegeta didn't really give me a choice." Ace held still while she placed the bandage on his cheek. "Thanks."  
  
"You're very welcome, Ace. I'll take you to your mother now."  
  
Ace followed her into the hallway, where he nearly bumped into someone. "Whoa! Sorry, Miss..." He trailed off when he saw who he had bumped into. She was a girl, most likely around his age, but a bit shorter. She wore a pale green kimono, and she had violet hair, just like Ayeka. The strangest thing about her was her eyes: one was red, and the other was blue.  
  
Ace swallowed nervously. "Hi." He offered his hand.  
  
The girl shrank away from him and hid behind Ayeka.  
  
"What'd I do?" Ace asked.  
  
"Nothing," Ayeka replied. "Gaia's very shy around new people."  
  
Ace peered around Ayeka's kimono. "Um...sorry if I scared you. My name's Ace Avalon."  
  
Gaia slowly came out into the open and bowed before running down the hall.  
  
"You must forgive her. Gaia's a very unusual girl," Ayeka explained.  
  
Ace barely heard her. He was staring at the quickly retreating girl as she disappeared around the corner. And though he'd only heard rumors about the feeling, something told Ace Avalon that he was in love.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Later that week, Ace sat on his bed, waiting patiently.  
  
Suddenly, a pink star portal opened along the wall, and Washu stuck her head out. "Special delivery, shorty." She tossed Ace a small package and waved before disappearing back into the portal.  
  
Ace tore open the small box. Inside, he found a folded letter.   
  
"Dear Ace: I'm sorry you had to go so soon. I know Jurai is a long way from Earth, so here's something to help you pass the time. Sincerely, Miss Ayeka."  
  
Ace looked back at the box. Inside, there was a small photo. He slowly picked it up. As he'd hoped, it was a picture of Gaia. She looked even more beautiful than he remembered.  
  
The door opened, and Sakura stuck her head in. "I'm going out for a while, honey. Will you be okay or should I call Madison?"  
  
"I'll be okay, Mom," Ace replied, slipping the photo into his pocket. "Hey, can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure, what is it?" Sakura came in and sat down beside him.   
  
"I was just wondering...how do I get a girl to like me?"  
  
Sakura gave him a puzzled look. "You don't. She chooses to. And what girl are we talking about, mister?"  
  
"Geez, it was just a general question, Mom!" Ace cried defensively.  
  
"Okay, okay!" Sakura stood up. "Are you sure I shouldn't call Madison?"  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
"You'll watch Tarot?"  
  
Ace sighed. "Yeah, I'll watch her."  
  
"I don't mean watch her as in 'I watched her dump milk all over the floor' this time. I mean taking care of her, Ace."  
  
"I'll do it! Geez, Mom!"  
  
Sakura looked hesitant. "All right. Your father should be home soon, so don't try anything."  
  
"Mom, you don't trust me?" Ace asked innocently. "I'm your son!"  
  
"That's exactly why I don't trust you." Sakura leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Be good, sweetie."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Where's the brat?"  
  
Sakura narrowed her eyes. "She's in the crib. If she's asleep, wake her up and give her something to eat. No ice cream this time."  
  
"Gotcha." Ace climbed off his bed. "Mom, was it love at first sight for you and Dad?"  
  
Sakura frowned. "No. Actually, when we first met, your father hated me."  
  
"Really?" Ace asked in shock.  
  
"Well, he certainly didn't like me. But we had to work together to get all the Clow Cards back, and we eventually started to care about each other. I can't really explain it." She sighed wistfully, then shook her head. "Anyway, I've got to go. Stay away from the Clow Cards, Ace."  
  
Ace frowned as she walked out. "I was hoping she wouldn't say anything. Well, I'd better go grab the brat."  
  
"The brat," as Ace liked to call her, was his baby sister, Tarot. She wasn't bad or anything, but as with all babies, she didn't know right from wrong, and when she did something wrong, Ace got blamed for it. Unfortunately, since Tarot was going to be CardCaptor one day, she had magic. Even though she didn't know how to use it correctly, she had a habit of turning important things to dust...like Ace's homework, as he'd found out the hard way.  
  
Ace walked into the baby's room and peered into the crib. Tarot was sleeping peacefully. She was wearing a fuzzy pink bodysuit that even covered her hands (to prevent her from sucking her thumbs) and clutching her doll, Pinky. Ace remembered that the doll's design was based loosely on the Power Card, and while he'd never actually seen it, he assumed it was a way of helping Tarot learn to identify the Clow Cards early on. She also had dolls of the Fight, Windy, and Fiery Cards, but Pinky was her favorite.  
  
Ace reached into the crib and gently tickled the baby's feet. "Come on, squirt. Wake up already."  
  
Tarot slowly opened her eyes. She loved to sleep, but she hated waking up. She scrunched up her face and prepared the scream, but suddenly noticed her big brother's face. Little amused noises came from her mouth, and she reached for him.  
  
Ace fiddled with the screws until the side of the crib fell off. Then he picked up Tarot, being sure to grab Pinky as well. Tarot hated being separated from her for any reason. He carried them both into the kitchen, where he deposited baby and doll in her special chair (which had the image of the Little Card on the side). "You stay here, and I'll get the goop. Okay?"  
  
Tarot giggled and chewed on Pinky's foot, which Ace took as a yes.  
  
"Goop," as Ace called it, was actually Tarot's food. Orange goop was sweet potatoes, yellow was bananas, and red was cherries. Tarot only seemed to like sweet foods; anything else ended up on the walls, ceiling, floor and whoever happened to be feeding her.  
  
"Okay, squirt. Red or yellow?" Ace asked, holding up the containers. As usual, he felt a tug on the hand holding the red goop. Ace slowly let go and watched it float clumsily toward Tarot's chair. However, just before it could get there, the container fell to the floor.  
  
Tarot's little eyes began to tear up, and she let out an ear-splitting wail.  
  
Ace knew what to do, though. He quickly picked up the container (which hadn't been open, luckily) and placed it in front of her. "See? No harm done."  
  
Tarot stopped crying, but a tiny whimper escaped her trembling mouth.  
  
Ace patted her red hair. "Don't cry, Tarot. You'll get it right one day." He knew that his parents would be upset if they knew Tarot was practicing magic without their guidance. Still, Ace figured that she'd start training with Junior sooner or later, and he was going to make sure Tarot knew a trick or two before she got beat up by a Saiyan.  
  
Tarot finally settled down and tried to eat his hand. He had come to understand there was no danger in that, as she didn't really have any teeth.   
  
With his dry hand, Ace pried open the container and handed it to her. "Try to get it all in your mouth this time, okay?"  
  
Tarot released his now dripping hand and eagerly raised the goop to her mouth. She actually ate most of it, for a change. But then she scooped some out with her hand and smeared it over her mouth.  
  
Ace grabbed a napkin. But when he tried to wipe her mouth, Tarot yanked it away from him and threw it across the room. "Okay, that didn't work."  
  
Tarot suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him closer with surprising strength. Then, with a huge grin on her face, she gave him the sloppiest kiss on the cheek that Ace would ever receive in his entire life.  
  
"Uh...thanks, I guess."   
  
Tarot only giggled as Ace cleaned them both off.  
  
* * * * *  
  
After an entire hour of peek-a-boo, Ace made a mental note never to play Tarot's favorite game again. Feeling more bored than tired, he carried her to their father's office, where the Clow Cards were kept in a large glass case. He had honestly just planned to look at them, as it was one of his favorite hobbies.  
  
Ace stared at the many different Cards. He knew most of them on sight by now, but there were a few he had yet to memorize. Suddenly, he sensed movement behind him. He turned to see Pinky floating in circles around the room. It was just Tarot practicing her magic again.   
  
Ace turned back to the glass case in time to see Pinky crash through it. One of the Cards flew out and landed in his hand. "The Time Card," he said quietly.  
  
Tarot crawled over to him and reached for the Card.  
  
"No, Tarot! Stop that!" Before he could move away, Tarot grabbed the Time Card. There was a blinding flash of light, and the next thing Ace knew, they were no longer in their father's office. "Tarot, what did you do?!"  
  
Tarot, oblivious to what she had just done, tried unsuccessfully to push the entire Time Card into her mouth.  
  
Ace pulled it away from her and glanced around. They were standing in a forest that looked vaguely familiar to him. "I've been here before, but where is this place?"  
  
Tarot made a gurgling noise and began to crawl away.  
  
Ace went after his sister and scooped her up. "Hold it! If I'm getting in trouble for this, no way I'm taking the heat alone, squirt!"  
  
Tarot giggled and hit him over the head with Pinky.  
  
"Very funny." Ace sighed and began walking. As long as they were here, he was going to try and find out where here was.  
  
He hadn't walked long when he nearly bumped into a girl. "Sorry. Can you tell me where I am?"  
  
The girl stared at him. "Um...this is the Masaki Shrine. Who are you?"  
  
"My name's Ace, and this," he said, pointing to his sister, "is Tarot."  
  
The girl smiled at them. "I'm Yugi. Nice to meet you."  
  
Ace nearly dropped his sister. "Y-Yugi?"  
  
"That's right. Is something wrong?"  
  
"N-No! I just thought you said something else."  
  
Yugi shrugged. "Well, I guess you can follow me. I was just looking for my friends."  
  
"Friends?" Ace asked.  
  
"Gohan, Trunks, and Sasami," she explained. "You'll like them. Come on!"  
  
Ace frowned as he fell in step with Yugi. Just great. If this girl is really the Yugi I know, Tarot's taken us years back in time! But at least I'll get to see what Gohan and Sasami were like as kids. He glanced at Tarot. "Nice work, squirt. I hope you're happy."  
  
Tarot cooed and bopped his nose.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Sasami stood very still as she watched the battle, almost forgetting that it was practice. Of course, it was possible that Gohan and Trunks had forgotten as well.  
  
Suddenly, three faces popped up beside her.   
  
"Who's winning?" Yugi asked.  
  
"I can't tell," Sasami confessed. "They're moving really fast again." She glanced over at the newcomers. "Oh, hi there!"  
  
"Hi," the boy said nervously. Man, I knew Sasami was pretty, but I didn't know she was always like that!  
  
"Oooh, a baby! Can I hold her?"  
  
"Um...sure." Ace handed over Tarot, who didn't seem to mind being held by a total stranger.  
  
Sasami played with Tarot for a while, but eventually turned back to the battle, which had slowed down enough for them to watch.  
  
Twins beams of golden light flew past Ace's head, stopping a few feet away. He then realized that they were people, but not just any people. They were Super Saiyans, just like Godin always bragged that he was. They were still moving incredibly fast, throwing punches and kicking at such high speeds that it was hard to tell if any were connecting at all.  
  
After a while, Ace figured out that the slightly taller one was Gohan. He seemed to be controlling the pace of the battle, and winning, as well. Trunks was the other. While he wasn't winning, he was giving it his all, and looked almost equally impressive as Gohan did.  
  
Suddenly, Gohan flew back, getting some distance between. He formed a triangle with his hands and shouted, "Masenko...HA!" A wide beam of energy flew directly at Trunks, but he was able to deflect it by crossing his forearms. The blast flew harmlessly away.  
  
"Good," Gohan admitted, "but you won't be able to do that again!" He flew up this time, stopping directly in front of the sun. That would make it harder for Trunks to see him, and what he was about to do would make it even harder. "Solar FLARE!"  
  
Trunks grunted in pain and stumbled back, covering his eyes as best he could.. I should've seen that one coming!  
  
Gohan joined his hands at his side and drew them back, slowly building up the needed ki energy. He smiled. "I'm thinking of you, Dad." Then he closed his eyes.  
  
"Uh oh," Sasami whispered. "Better get down, you guys. I recognize that position."  
  
Gohan wet his lips. "Kaaa...Meee...Haaa...Meee..." The energy ball grew in his hands, gathering strength and power. Gohan forced his hands forward and shouted, "HAAA!!!"  
  
Trunks regained his vision just in time to see that he was on the wrong end of the Kamehameha Wave. "Oh, crap!" He threw his hands up just before it reached him. He caught the energy, straining under its weight. Gohan's testing me. I can't let him down. I can do this. Just focus. Focus, Trunks. FOCUS!  
  
"Is he going to be okay?" Ace whispered.  
  
"We'll find out soon," Sasami replied.  
  
Gohan opened his eyes and looked down his beam. Trunks was doing well, but it wasn't enough. Guess I'll have to teach him the hard way. He increased the power of the beam, sighing as Trunks disappeared behind the raging energy. Gohan turned away just before the explosion.  
  
When the dust cleared, Trunks was sitting on the ground, most of his armor burned away. His hair had returned to its normal color.   
  
"Sorry about that, Trunks," Gohan said as he landed, "but you have to learn how to deal with the Kamehameha Wave sooner or later."  
  
Trunks coughed. "Can't you just show me how to do it so I can shoot one of my own next time?"  
  
"Nope. It's more like a family thing." Gohan grabbed his hand and pulled him up. "But you're getting better. Your speed's improved."  
  
"Really? Yugi and I have been training together, but I didn't know if it was paying off or not."  
  
Gohan grinned. "The last time I saw you and Yugi training, you didn't do anything except kiss and hug the whole time. Somehow, I don't think that would help in a fight."  
  
Trunks turned bright red. "So is that why you don't train with Sasami?"  
  
"No, I don't train with her because she doesn't like to fight. Besides, I could never throw a punch at her." Gohan stretched his arms. "Well, let's try one more practice round."  
  
"Actually, I was hoping you could stop for now," Sasami interrupted as she appeared behind them.  
  
Gohan slowly turned around. "How long have you been there?"  
  
"Long enough," she replied, giving him a peck on the cheek. "I brought some friends, too." She gestured to Yugi, who was followed by Ace and Tarot.  
  
"Who are they?" Trunks asked.  
  
"Oh, Yugi found them in the forest. They were lost."  
  
"Where are you guys from?" Gohan asked.  
  
Ace gave him a tired look. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"So that's how we got here," Ace said. "Here's the Time Card to prove it."  
  
Sasami stared at the Card. "That definitely looks like a Clow Card, guys. He's telling the truth."  
  
"None of you thinks this is weird?" Ace asked.  
  
"It's happened before," Sasami replied. "It's how I first met Trunks...sort of."  
  
"You're a CardCaptor?" Yugi asked.  
  
Ace hesitated. "Well...not exactly. My mother and father are."  
  
"They wouldn't happen to be Sakura and Li, would they?" Gohan asked.  
  
"Actually, yeah. You know them?"  
  
Gohan nodded. "Very well. I guess Reenie was right about them being more than friends."  
  
"So do you two need help getting home?" Trunks asked. "My mom has a time machine you might be able to use."  
  
"Actually I was hoping you guys could help me with something else," Ace said.. "Godin thinks I'm crazy for liking a girl at this point, but-"  
  
"Uh...who's Godin?" Sasami asked.   
  
Ace gave her a blank look. "Oh, I forgot. He's a friend of mine. I thought you'd know."  
  
"Why would we know?"  
  
Ace started to answer, then shook his head. "Never mind. Anyway, there's this girl I like back in my time, and since you guys are experts, I was hoping you could help me out."  
  
"Experts on what?" Gohan asked, looking confused.  
  
Ace blushed. "Oh. Sorry. I keep forgetting that my present is your future.."  
  
"So what are we experts on?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Well...love." Ace glanced at them all. "Why'd it get so quiet?"  
  
"This is news to us," Sasami said quietly, glancing at Gohan. "We just had our first da-um...friendly outing a week ago."  
  
"Very funny," Gohan muttered.  
  
"I still wanna know why we're experts," Yugi said.  
  
"You're experts to me," Ace responded. "I mean, in my time, you guys are the ultimate married couples."  
  
"I feel like a superhero," Trunks said.  
  
"You ARE a superhero, Trunks," Yugi reminded him.  
  
"Yeah, but I didn't know that was in terms of marriage."  
  
Ace groaned. "Can we focus on MY problem, please? I can't stay here forever!"  
  
"Tell us about this girl first," Gohan said.  
  
"Yeah, what's she like?" Sasami asked.  
  
Ace thought for a while. "Well, she's from Jurai. She's kinda short, very pretty, and very shy. Her name's Gaia."  
  
"Royalty?" Sasami guessed.  
  
"Uh...yeah, she's a princess, I guess."  
  
"That's all you know about her?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Give me a break! I've only seen her for about twenty seconds!"  
  
"Then I'd have to suggest spending more time with her," Gohan said. "Get to know her. Try to be her friend first."  
  
"Yeah, that's what he tried on me," Sasami added.  
  
"Tried? It worked!" Gohan replied with a smirk.  
  
Sasami grinned. "Or so you think."  
  
* * * * *  
  
To say Li was angry was an understatement. He had come home, only to find his children gone. As if that wasn't enough, the Time Card was missing. He was just thinking of calling the police when something exploded in his office.  
  
Already afraid of what he might find, Li slowly peered inside. It looked as if a tornado had hit the room. Clow Cards were scattered everywhere. Sitting in the middle of mess were Ace and Tarot. Tarot was chewing on the Time Card, and Ace was trying to take it from her. They both froze when they spotted him.  
  
"Dad, I know this looks bad..." Ace began.  
  
"Then why are you even trying to explain it?"  
  
Ace thought about that. "Good point." He pointed at Tarot. "She did it."  
  
Tarot made a confused noise and chewed on Pinky's foot.  
  
Li sighed and shook his head. "Who took the Card?"  
  
"Well, she broke the case, and it sort of landed in my hand."  
  
"Landed?" Li arched an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, I guess it sort of flew to my hand, now that I think about it."  
  
Li considered that. "Fine. I won't tell your mother if you can clean up this mess before she gets home."  
  
Ace looked surprised. "Really? Why?"  
  
"Let's just say I've had a similar experience myself. And make sure you wipe off the Time Card before you put it back."  
  
Ace looked at his sister as Li left the room. "Well, squirt, looks like we've finally gotten away with something around here."  
  
Tarot stared at him, then handed over the dripping Time Card.  
  
"Ugh...thanks, I think."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ayeka was in the middle of brushing Gaia's hair when Azaka walked into the room. "Princess Ayeka, this package just arrived from Earth," he said. "It's addressed to your daughter."  
  
Gaia looked up and held out her hands expectantly.  
  
Azaka handed over the package, which Gaia tore apart in a matter of seconds. She handed the written note to her mother, indicating she should read it.  
  
Ayeka cleared her throat. "Dear Princess Gaia: You probably don't remember me, but I've been thinking about you since the day we met. I know Jurai is a long way from Earth, but if you ever come to visit, we'd be glad to have you at our house. Mom says we have plenty of room, and I'm pretty sure Dad won't mind, either. Anyway, I hope I see you again soon. I'd like to get to know you better, if that's okay with you. Until then, here's a little something to remember me by. Sincerely, Ace Avalon."  
  
Gaia reached into the package and pulled out a glass case. Inside was a tiny, potted sapling with a few white flowers on it. She stared at it for a long time before handing it to her mother.  
  
"Well, what do you think, dear?" Ayeka asked.  
  
Gaia went over to the desk and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen. She pressed them into her mother's lap.  
  
Ayeka smiled. "Yes, I think we should write him back, too."  
  
* * * * *  
  
When Sakura got home later that night, the first thing she did was go to Tarot's room. She was very surprised to find that her daughter was gone. Just as she was leaving the room, Li grabbed her hand and pressed a finger to her lips. He pointed toward Ace's room.  
  
Sakura gave him a curious look, then looked into their son's room. The night light in the corner was on, and she wasn't sure why, at first. Ace swore up and down that he was too old for one. But then she looked at his bed.  
  
As usual, Ace was fast asleep in the center, snoring quietly. Lying on his chest was little Tarot. There was a blanket draped over them both, and sitting next to it was Pinky, Tarot's favorite doll.  
  
Sakura was about to leave when she noticed something shiny around the doll's neck. She crept closer, only to find that it was the Key of Clow. "A Key of Clow," she reminded herself, glancing down at the one she still wore around her neck at all times.  
  
Sakura gently stroked her daughter's short, red hair, then closed the door as she left.  
  
"So what do you think?" Li asked.  
  
Sakura stared at him. "I think they're cute together. And I think we'd better have a long talk with Ace about his magic."  
  
Li shook his head. "He told me Tarot activated the Time Card."  
  
Sakura's eyes widened a bit. "Then it looks like we'll have to start locking your office, until we can put up some magic barriers."  
  
"You're not worried?"  
  
"Not really. I guess they're just like I was."  
  
Li smirked. "Then I should be really worried."  
  
  
The End.  



End file.
